Prisoner 951 is a new BBC factual drama based on the true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
The BBC’s new factual drama, Prisoner 951, tells “the extraordinary true story” of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen who was imprisoned and held hostage by the Iranian state for six years, and her husband Richard Ratcliffe, who campaigned for justice and her return.
The four-part series features Gangs of London’s Narges Rashidi portraying Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, whilst Joseph Fiennes, recognised from The Handmaid’s Tale, plays her husband Richard Ratcliffe.
According to the BBC, the drama draws upon “first-hand accounts of Nazanin and Richard as well as extensive research,” depicting the family’s “extraordinary courage and resilience” whilst facing unthinkable hardship. The programme comes ahead of the couple’s forthcoming book, A Yard of Sky, co-authored by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe.
Narges Rashidi as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in Prisoner 951(Image: BBC)
The official synopsis for Prisoner 951 states: “In 2016, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is torn from her 22-month-old daughter, arrested, falsely accused of espionage, and imprisoned in Iran.
“Thousands of miles away, in London, her husband Richard refuses to stay silent and does everything in his power to bring her home. When it is revealed that Nazanin is a pawn in a decades-old political dispute, Richard wages a campaign to free her, battling tyranny abroad and seeming indifference at home.”
When does Prisoner 951 start?
Joseph Fiennes stars in Prisoner 951(Image: BBC)
Prisoner 951 is set to premiere on Sunday, November 23. The full drama will be accessible on BBC iPlayer from 6am and will broadcast on BBC One at 9pm the same evening, reports the Express.
The series is penned by Stephen Butchard, known for This City Is Ours and Five Daughters, and directed by three-time BAFTA award-winner Philippa Lowthorpe of Three Girls and The Crown fame.
The narrative will delve into Nazanin’s harrowing experience, from her arrest at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, through to her release and return to the UK six years later. According to the BBC, Prisoner 951 unveils “both the heart-stopping public story which was played out in the media and events behind closed doors.”
Prisoner 951 cast
Narges Rashidi as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe(Image: BBC)
Narges Rashidi takes on the role of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Audiences may recognise Narges from her performances in Gangs of London, Under the Shadow, and The Allegation.
When asked about portraying Nazanin, Narges reflected: “Emotionally, it was probably the most demanding role I’ve ever played. We were shooting incredibly intense scenes day after day. Some days I had up to eight scenes with emotional climaxes, that’s something you rarely get to do in a project.
“It was an emotional roller-coaster, but at the end of the day, I would go home and sleep in a warm bed knowing I’m an actor in this role for four months, I know it’s not real. But for Nazanin, that was her reality for six years; she never knew how, when or if it would end. So, really, I don’t think it’s possible to fill those shoes in any capacity, but I tried to at least be truthful to her story and my best to do her justice.”
Meanwhile, Joseph Fiennes portrays Nazanin’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe. The actor has extensive experience bringing real figures to life on screen, having previously depicted the Earl of Leicester in Elizabeth, James Gregory in Goodbye Bafana, and Gareth Southgate in Dear England.
Joseph Fiennes plays Richard Ratcliffe(Image: BBC)
Discussing his preparation, Joseph explained: “It’s interesting to talk about skills, Richard’s skill is certainly auditing, he’s a forensic auditor so that’s his super skill. I’ve got a feeling a part of that diligence really put him ahead of most of us in dealing with this extraordinary crisis. On every occasion, his phrase would be ‘show me the receipts’, that’s his way of getting to the truth.
“I didn’t have to learn how to audit or go to accountancy school, but I did talk to Richard at length for several hours. As far as research went, it was a case of meeting him in person, feeling his spirit, sensing his physicality, hearing first-hand about the events he and his family had to live through; then marrying that to the script and my idea of Richard in the world of our drama.”
How many episodes of Prisoner 951 are there?
The mini-series comprises four episodes in total. All four instalments will be accessible for streaming on BBC iPlayer from Sunday, 23 November.
